Dr. Mary McLeod Bethune, the fifteenth child of freed slaves, founded the Bethune-Cookman University in 1904 and became a pioneering educator, an important civil rights activist, and the highest-ranking appointee to President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Negro Cabinet, where she helped develop the country's desegregation policy. Her home, now called the Mary McLeod Bethune Foundation, is situated on the lush campus of the university she founded.
Built for Bethune in 1915 by friends and benefactors, including James Gamble of Procter and Gamble, the home is filled with priceless artifacts of her life and work, including photographs of illustrious visitors and presidents, memorabilia, and period furnishings. A simple gravesite behind the home became Bethune's resting place upon her death in 1955. Visitors who wish to view the home and grounds of this historically fascinating woman should plan ahead, as guided tours are offered by appointment only.
